OCD Week of Action 2017: 20th-26th February

Putting off booking that doctors appointment? Frustrated by lack of services in your local area? Then now is the time to do something about it! OCD Week of Action is back, and it's going to be bigger than ever!

What is Week of Action?

OCD Week of Action is a campaigning week, where we invite people to take action against OCD. The week is an opportunity for everyone to fight collectively to beat OCD and change people's perceptions of mental health and the stigma that surrounds it. Everyone can get involved and take action, whether you're personally affected, know someone who is, or just want to help improve the lives of those affected by the condition.

How can I get involved?

For the last few years, OCD Week of Action has been a great success mainly due to online activity, but this year, we wanted to expand the presence of Week of Action to local communities and ensure that we are reaching as many people as possible both on and offline. So, we have created action packs that you can order from us, which will be filled with activities, information and a couple of little goodies that you can wear to show your support during the week. If you want an action pack - or more than one if you know a friend who may be interested - all you need to do is send an email to info@ocdaction.org.uk, stating how many you would like, and your address (you can remain anonymous if you wish) and we will send a pack out to you first class on the same working day. If you would prefer, you can call us on 020 7253 5272, and request your pack over the phone.

Action Plans

Did you know we have a website dedicated to OCD Week of Action? From Monday 20 February, our take action website will update with new information/activities, and you can go on it and create your very own Action Plan to help you, a family member or a friend combat OCD.

We want you to choose a category:

Get help to fight your OCD

Support someone else with OCD

Campaign for a better deal

Help us help others

You will then receive information and support depending on your needs.

We will stay in touch throughout the week to see how you're getting on. (Look out for the link on our homepage on Monday 20th!)

Ask the experts - Twitter Q&A's

If you are on Twitter, you'll know that for the last few years we have hosted Twitter chats with experts during Week of Action, and they have been so successful in the past that we wanted to do the same this year, to give you the opportunity to have your questions answered live by the experts. Follow us on Twitter to keep up to date on dates/times for these chats.

Collette Byrne

OCD Action's Advocacy Manager, Collette Byrne, will be providing you with top tips on how to self advocate and help you fight for your rights. This chat will take place on Monday 20 February from 6-7pm.

Bruce Clark

Clinical Director of CAMHS and child and adolescent psychiatrist, Bruce Clark, will be answering questions relating to young people's mental health and treatment. Bruce's Twitter chat will be taking place on the 22 February from 6-7pm.

Bryony Gordon

Telegraph journalist and author of 'Mad Girl', Bryony Gordon, will be answering your questions on OCD and how it is portrayed in the media.

What else is happening?

As we mentioned in this news article, some of our wonderful new YAPpers have been busy organising coffee mornings to take place during the week. One coffee morning has already taken place, and nearly £100 was raised by Molly who was selling delicious cakes. A big thanks to Molly, and good luck to everyone who is hosting coffee mornings next week. We love these type of events, as it brings together members of the community who may not know anything about OCD before they arrive, but will leave with a better understanding of the condition (and a stomach full of cake and tea!), what more could you ask for! If you would like to host your own coffee morning, however small, then we would love to help support you to set one up. Just email our Lead Fundraiser Charlie: charlie@ocdaction.org.uk, or call him on 020 7253 5272.

Connect Month

This year, OCD Week of Action also coincides with Connect Month, an Even Better Together initiative for support groups. The focus of it is to help the support groups to better connect with their local community, to raise their profile and to reach out to people who might face barriers to attending a support group.

So get involved! If you would like more information, or would like to request your own action pack (or more than one!) then let us know the best address and we can send one out to you right away.

OCD Action's Vision

OCD Action works for a society where OCD is better understood and diagnosed quickly, where appropriate treatment options are open and accessible, where support and information is readily available and where nobody feels ashamed to ask for help.

We are here because OCD tears families apart and leaves people isolated and exhausted. OCD ruins lives. It is a sad fact that many people with OCD delay seeking help. They put up with it for too long, perhaps thinking that nothing can be done or just not knowing where to turn. OCD Action believes in taking action. We want people affected by OCD to seek help, to understand their treatment options and find the support and motivation they need to fight back. OCD is treatable, it can get better.